Contradict vs Conflict

[Rami Rustom]

What is the difference between contradict and conflict?


If two ideas contradict each other, that means they are logically
opposite. Here's an example:

A: All people have the same potential for rational thinking.

B: Not all people have the same potential for rational thinking.

Ideas A and B contradict each other. To show this, we can show idea B
as a function of idea A, like so:

B: Not A.


If two ideas conflict with each other, that means that there exists a
contradiction between parts of the ideas. Consider these ideas:

C: Government should provide healthcare to all citizens.

D: People should be free from each other -- and force should only be
used to protect a person's freedom from being infringed upon by
another.

Ideas C and D conflict with each other. To show this, we can
generalize idea C. And we can make changes to C and D so that they are
of the same form.

C (1st iteration): Taxpayers should be forced (by government) to pay
for the healthcare of citizens who don't have sufficient wealth for or
choose not to pay for their own healthcare costs -- and to pay for
police/military (protection from force by others).

C (2nd iteration): Force should be used to get certain people to do X
and to protect people's freedoms from being infringed upon by others.

D (1st iteration): Force should not be used, unless a person's freedom
is being infringed upon by another.

C (3rd iteration): Force should be used only in situations that meet
criteria Y or Z.

D (2nd iteration): Force should be used only in situations that meet criteria Y.

Part of C: Force should be used in situations that meet criteria Z.

Part of D: Force should NOT be used in situations that meet criteria Z.

The parts of ideas C and D (listed above) contradict each other, which
is why ideas C and D conflict with each other.

-- Rami Rustom
http://ramirustom.blogspot.com

[Elliot Temple]

I don't understand. I think this is less clear than the dictionary.

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/contradict

Contradict:

> to assert the contrary of


> to imply the opposite or a denial of

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/conflict

Conflict:

> competitive or opposing action of incompatibles :antagonistic state or action (as of divergent ideas, interests, or persons)

> mental struggle resulting from incompatible or opposing needs, drives, wishes, or external or internal demands

> to be different, opposed, or contradictory

> In psychology, a struggle resulting from incompatible or opposing needs, drives, wishes, or demands. Interpersonal conflict represents such a struggle between two or more people, while internal conflict is a mental struggle. A child experiencing internal conflict, for example, may be dependent on his mother but fear her because she is rejecting and punitive. Conflicts that are not readily resolved may cause the person to suffer helplessness and anxiety.


Or shorter:

Contradict means a strict, logical contradiction.

Conflict means a problem.

Typically both words refer only to what is already known.

Two ideas conflict if one knows of a problem with holding both. This could indicate they contradict but one doesn't know that they do or not. There are other possibilities, such as that the ideas are fully compatible but some third idea one has conflicts with them.

-- Elliot Temple
http://fallibleideas.com/